The moment became unforgettable for spectators as well when Graf unzipped the suit during a cool down lap, revealing a triangle of skin from neck to belly button.

Photographers captured the moment and when she realized the problem, Graf quickly zipped back up.

"Only afterward did I realize that maybe this video will appear on YouTube," she told the AP. "But I don't think it will be so bad."

Her slip-up is far from the first athletic wardrobe malfunction to attract Internet buzz. At the Summer Games in London, a player on Spain's women's water polo team got unwanted attention after an underwater camera captured a bathing suit grab by an opponent that exposed more than she would have wanted. And in 2009 swimmer Ricky Berens split the back of his swimsuit during a dive at a world championships.

Graf's slip-up leaves her little to be embarrassed about, by comparison. The 30-year-old realized her error before too much skin was visible, notched the bronze and beat her previous personal best with a time of 4 minutes 3.47 seconds. Irene Wust from the Netherlands won the gold, while Martina Sablikova from the Czech Republic took silver.